Soldiers continue to surrender in Mariupol in eastern Ukraine, and Russian troops are expected to take full control of Mariupol in the near future, aiming for further capture in the east.

On the other hand, around Kharkiv in the east, Ukrainian troops are pushing back Russian troops, and the war situation is likely to continue unpredictable.

Regarding Mariupol, a key point in eastern Ukraine, the Russian Ministry of Defense announced on the 18th that "Ukrainian soldiers and others continue to surrender from the Azovstal ironworks. In the last 24 hours, 694 people, including 29 injured, have surrendered." ..

With this, it is said that a total of 959 people have surrendered from the Ukrainian side since the 16th of this month.



It is reported that some of the troops still remain in the steelworks, but the Ukrainian Army General Staff says that the fighting mission at the steelworks is over, and the Russian army will soon take full control of Mariupol. It seems to be done.



The Russian Ministry of Defense also announced on the 18th that the

Air Force had destroyed


the Ukrainian military command post in eastern Donetsk Oblast and


the anti-aircraft missile system and base near southern Mikolaiu .

A high-ranking Pentagon official said on the 18th that Russian troops are advancing troops in eastern Ukraine, and that troops are also heading from Mariupol, and Russian troops are expected to aim for further capture of the eastern part.




Mayor of Mariupol “Recapture”

Meanwhile, a Pentagon official said around Ukraine's second largest city, eastern Kharkiv, "Ukrainian troops continue to push Russian troops back towards the border."



Mayor Boychenko of Mariupol's also said in an interview with NHK on the 18th, "When the time comes, we will turn to counterattack. We will win and I will definitely return to Mariupol's."



The Ukrainian army has received military support from Western countries and has not broken the stance of a thorough anti-war, and the war situation is likely to continue unpredictable.



Meanwhile, the Ukrainian side seems to be seeking release of soldiers who surrendered from the Mariupol steelworks and were detained by Russian troops through the exchange of prisoners of war. It should not be exchanged, "he said, showing a negative attitude toward delivery.



It seems that Russia wants to shake the Ukrainian side for future ceasefire negotiations and use it as a material for bargaining.